


because they're going to be sad later

by queenhawke



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, well the fluff is more on the rory/eleven side but ey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-22
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 10:26:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1507139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenhawke/pseuds/queenhawke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>He isn't sure if he's ready to discuss River with anyone. Amy would be the more logical choice, but then again she'd probably laugh and tease him and he'd already had enough of that anyway. Maybe he should talk to Rory. Maybe Rory's the perfect choice for this.</i>
</p><p> </p><p>Aka Rory and the Doctor talk about girls. Well, one girl. Well, a woman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	because they're going to be sad later

**Author's Note:**

> Leave it to me to write Rory/Eleven bromance for River/Doctor appreciation day.  
> Written kinda fast and is probably full of mistakes. BUT THERE YOU GO.

“Doctor? You alright?”

The Doctor nearly drops his screwdriver in surprise. He'd been so lost in thought, he hadn't even heard Rory approach. His friend is standing over him, worried look on his face. The Doctor shifts, a bit uncomfortable, suddenly very aware of the cold, hard floor he's been sitting on for the past few hours. Funny how you can lose track of time in a time machine.

“Yes, I'm – I'm fine, thank you Rory. Just... thinking.”

“Yeah?” Rory says, still looking a bit concerned. “About what?”

“Oh, you know... things.” Or rather, 'thing', although it is probably not a good idea to refer to River Song as a thing. It's just, he couldn't get what had happened when he dropped her off at Stormcage out of his mind. He swore he could still feel his lips tingling, and he was fairly sure you weren't supposed to feel kisses days after they happened. Unless she'd been using some kind of special lipstick. Had she drugged him? That would account for the hazy feeling he still had. Oh god, she has, she's drugged him, everything makes sense –

“Doctor, you're doing it again.”

“What?” he exclaims, startled again. Rory sighs.

“Must be a very interesting thing, if you get this distracted by it,” he says, sitting down next to the Doctor. He pauses briefly, clearly thinking something over in his head. Seemingly reaching a decision, he says, a bit uncertain, “Do you... wanna talk about it?”

The Doctor stares at him. “Rory, what are you doing?”

“I just thought... I mean we never really... talked much,” Rory says hesitantly. “I mean it's always been you and Amy, and then me just... tagging along...”

“Oh, _Rory_ ,” the Doctor says, suddenly getting an idea where this might be going. “Rory, no, you're a very dear friend, I don't want you to feel like you're just _tagging along –_ “

“No, look, that's not the point I'm trying to make. I was absolutely fine with tagging along. I mean, no offense, but I didn't start traveling with you for _you_.”

“Oh.” Not where he thought it was going, then.

“Not that I hated you – well, okay, a bit, but you _did_ kiss my fiancée –“

“That wasn't – !” the Doctor starts to protest, but Rory shushes him.

“Again, _not the point I'm trying to make_. Thing is, you always seemed so... alien to me, I didn't know how to be a real friend to you. There was always this distance, you know? But then we had that talk in America, and... I dunno, I guess I never realised how much alike we really are.”

“The Doctor and the nurse.”

“Well, exactly. And I guess I realised I should stop seeing you as _the Doctor_ , the 1000-year-old alien, and more as just a mate.”

“Please don't use the word 'mate'.”

“...sure, friend. So anyway,” Rory says, taking a deep breath, “let's talk. That's what friends do.”

“Right.” The Doctor frowns. He isn't entirely sure he likes where this is going. Oh, he likes Rory, he likes him a lot, and he's glad Rory is finally reciprocating his... platonic feelings. But he isn't sure if he's ready to discuss River with him. He isn't sure if he's ready to discuss River with _anyone_. Amy would be the more logical choice, but then again she'd probably laugh and tease him and he'd already had enough of that anyway. Maybe he _should_ talk to Rory. Maybe Rory's the perfect choice for this. He knows what it's like to be in love with an absolutely maddening woman!

Wait.

No.

He didn't mean _in love_ . No, no, he isn't... It's just... _she drugged him!_ Possibly!

Next to him, Rory clears his throat.

“So...”

“What? Oh, yes! Sorry, did it again.” The Doctor laughs nervously. “It's just... sorry, I'm rubbish at talking about myself.”

“Really?” Rory says drily. “'Cause you never have a problem talking about how great you are.”

“Oi! I thought you wanted to talk, not insult me.”

“You do have to give me something to talk about first.”

“It's... look, I...” God, why is he so bad at this? He could talk himself out of any dangerous situation, save entire planets with words, so why does one little kiss reduce him to a stuttering fool? It was madness. And possibly drugs. He sighs deeply.

“River and I kissed.”

A pause.

“And?”

The Doctor stares at Rory, incredulous. “And? _And?!_ ” He waves his arms around in a futile attempt to express his indignance. “ _We kissed!_ ”

“Right,” Rory says slowly, clearly not getting what the big deal is. “And you haven't before?”

“ _NO!_ ”

“Oh, right.” Rory shrugs. “I thought you had.”

“Wh – why would – you even _think_ that!”

“I don't know, maybe because of the outrageous flirting? Or the fact that you were practically grinding against each other when we were trying to rescue Amy?”

“We weren't – we weren't _grinding_ – I just... Oh god.” He buries his face in his hand, groaning in embarrassment. What was he thinking that day, honestly.

“I just assumed you were a couple now. I mean, the way River talks about you...”

His head snaps up again. “What? What did she say about me?”

Rory avoids his stare, clearly regretting what he said. “Oh... no, I shouldn't say. I mean, she told me those things in private. Honestly, I don't even know why she told _me_ , of all people.”

“But what did she say?”

“No, Doctor, I really shouldn't. It's... look, what I got from it is that she loves you. A lot.”

“Right.” Well. He knew that. He didn't really _want_ to know, but it was obvious. It was all a bit scary, their... whatever they had. Okay, he knew they obviously had an intimate relationship in the future, but that was a terrifying idea so if he just... ignored it, he'd be fine. That might sound harsh, but he couldn't do it again, he couldn't... fall in love and get his heart broken all over again. He was done with that! So they kissed, whatever! So it was a great kiss, who cares! It didn't matter that he'd felt so happy in that moment. That he'd wanted to tangle his hands in her glorious hair, except he got startled by her arm snaking around his waist and pressing him closer to her. That her mouth had been so soft and so much more gentle than he ever imagined (not that he had ever imagined such a thing!), that he'd melted into her kiss, that it had been so nice and warm and loving that he never wanted that moment to end. None of that had meant a damn thing.

God, he is such a bad liar.

“So... that's what you're all worked up about? A kiss.”

“It's not the kiss, it's... everything that comes with it.”

“...”

“You know, _feelings_.”

“But you clearly had feelings for her before that.”

“ _Yes_ , but now it's... it's all become so real,” he mumbles. “Before, I could pretend it was just harmless flirting, but now we've _kissed_ , so now it's a _thing_. A real thing. And I can't run away anymore.”

“You were running away before?”

“Ah, well.” The Doctor sheepishly runs a hand through his hair. “I tried. Sort of.”

“Clearly you didn't try hard enough.”

“Thanks, Rory.”

“But isn't this a good thing, though?” Rory asks. “You like her. Isn't it good that you have this... _thing_ now?”

“You don't _understand,_ Rory!” the Doctor huffs. “I'm a Time Lord. I can live for thousands of years. She won't. Plus there's this whole backwards-out-of-synch thing we have! This whole thing is just gonna lead to misery for both of us.”

“Were you happy when she kissed you?”

“I – what, yes?” the Doctor says, confused by Rory's sudden question. “I suppose. I mean, it was nice. I... enjoyed it.”

“So she makes you happy?”

“I – uh,” he stammers, a blush creeping up his neck. “Sure. I mean, she's _infuriating_ , of course. And mad. And it's kind of outrageous how good she looks when shooting guns, I mean that's just _wrong –_ ”

“Doctor, if she makes you happy, why shouldn't you just go for it?”

“Because it's only going to lead to heartbreak, and I've been down that road too many times already.”

“So what, you're just never gonna allow yourself to be happy with someone because you might be sad later?” Rory shakes his head. “That's an awful way to live.”

“I – well...” He doesn't have a come-back for that. Sighing, he gives up, resting his head on the other man's shoulder. “You're far too clever for me, Rory Pond.”

“What would you do without me.”

“Well, I'd be dead, for one.”

“True.”

They sit there in comfortable silence for a while. Rory's closed his eyes. The Doctor suddenly realises it must be the middle of the night for him. He wonders if Rory came down here specifically for him, if he did this now because he knew Amy wouldn't be here. It's a nice thought. It's nice in general, the Doctor thinks, being friends with Rory. He could get used to this. Maybe Rory could be his go-to guy for girl problems. Well, woman problems. River's hardly a girl.

He frowns, suddenly remembering something else from that kiss.

“She was sad, afterwards.”

“Hm?” Rory says, a bit sleepily.

“River. After we kissed. I was going back to the TARDIS and she just... looked sad.”

“Maybe you're a terrible kisser.” The Doctor shoots him a look, and even though Rory's eyes are closed he still smiles.

“I am _not_. You can ask your wife.”

Rory makes a sound of disgust. “No thanks. I'd rather not know the details.”

“Why would she be sad?” the Doctor muses.

“I dunno, did you say something wrong? Actually, knowing you, you definitely said something wrong.”

“I didn't! I just said...” He searches his memory, trying to remember. He hadn't thought much about _after_ the kiss. It was mostly the kiss itself that occupied his thoughts. That and scenarios of what could have happened had he not been such a coward and fled immediately. “I said it was a nice kiss.”

“Smooth.”

“And then... oh, yes, I said 'there's a first time for everything'.”

Rory finally opens his eyes to look at him, disbelieving. “Are you _kidding_ me? That's what you said?” He groans. “Oh my god, you are even more of a clueless idiot than I thought.”

“What?” The Doctor is confused now.

“You're meeting backwards. If this is your first kiss, then it might be her last. Of course she looked sad! And you just _left?_ ”

“I – but, we're not _that_ linear. It doesn't have to be her last kiss.”

“But it might be! And at any rate, she clearly didn't expect it to be your first. Of course not, you'd been flirting like an idiot. Must've been a shock, realising you were a lot younger than she thought.”

“Still doesn't have to mean –”

“Doctor, you messed up, okay? I mean, I'm not great with relationships or women either – hell, I've never even fancied any girl other than Amy. But even I know you messed up. Royally.” Rory suddenly stands up, pulling the Doctor with him. “Go back to her.”

“What?”

“Go back and apologise.”

“For _what_?”

“For being an insensitive prick, like you always are!”

“But –”

“Do it,” Rory says sternly, pointing at the console. He's serious about this, the Doctor realises. And you don't want to mess with serious Rory. He rolls his eyes, but moves to the console anyway.

“Alright, _dad_.”

“Yeah, well, you might a 1000-year-old alien, but you do need a firm hand to guide you sometimes. Now _go_.”

“Yes, yes,” the Doctor mumbles, punching in the coördinates and hoping the TARDIS will cooperate for once. A _wheezegroanthunk_ later and they've landed in Stormcage. He checks the date. “Okay, it's about an hour after I left.”

“Great. I'll leave you to it, then. Good luck.” Rory starts to walk back up the stairs to his and Amy's room.

“Rory?” the Doctor calls after him. The Roman turns around. “Thanks,” the Doctor mutters.

Rory smiles. “No problem. That's what friends are for.”

 

_A few years later..._

 

They're sitting in the garden of the Ponds' residence one evening, sipping red wine and chatting about nothing, when River suddenly turns to Rory.

“Oh, by the way, thanks.”

Rory frowns. “For what?”

“Talking to the Doctor. After America?” Rory has to think for a moment when it suddenly clicks.

“Oh! That. Ah. That's... a bit strange now.”

“What's this about?” Amy asks, confused.

“Oh, Rory talked to the Doctor after we'd had our first kiss. He'd been kind of upset about it, apparently.”

“I wouldn't call it upset,” Rory says, swirling the wine in his glass around. “Scared as hell, more like. Also he'd been insensitive prick to River.”

“Rory sent him back to me to apologise,” River clarifies.

“Aw, giving love advice to your son-in-law,” Amy says. She'd been dealing with this whole 'the Doctor is married to our daughter' thing better than him, despite the initial shock. Rory suspected she rather enjoyed using her status as River's mom to boss the Doctor around. More than usual, anyway.

“Yes, well, I didn't know that at the time,” he mutters. “Although he did call me 'dad'...”

“And a great dad you are,” River says, patting his hand gently.

“So Mels got us together, and you got River and the Doctor together. We should start a dating site or something, we're great at this!” Amy laughs.

“I didn't get them together, I just made the Doctor realise how badly he'd handled that first kiss.”

“Hmm, good thing you did, too,” River says dreamily. “We had many other 'firsts' when he came back.”

And Rory got a few more mental scars that night.

 

 


End file.
